Breakdown of Черепахи и жуки не могут летать, они могут только ползать.
и
and
не
not
они
they
только
only
мочь
to be able to
летать
to fly (repeatedly)
ползать
to crawl around
черепаха
turtle
жук
beetle
Questions & Answers about Черепахи и жуки не могут летать, они могут только ползать.
Why do we use ползать here instead of its unidirectional pair ползти?
We use ползать because the sentence describes a general, innate ability, not a specific movement in progress. Ползать is the multidirectional verb, used for crawling around in general or as a habit. If you were watching a turtle crawling in a straight line toward a specific lettuce leaf right now, you would use the unidirectional form: черепаха ползёт.
Why is летать used instead of лететь?
Just like with crawling, flying here refers to a general capability rather than a single, directed flight. Летать is the multidirectional verb for flying in general. If you said они не могут лететь, it would mean they are physically unable to make a specific journey right this moment (for example, due to a storm or an injury).
Could we use умеют instead of могут for these animals?
Yes, absolutely. Normally, уметь means "to know how" (a learned skill) and мочь means "to be physically able to" (an innate physical capacity). However, Russian speakers very frequently use уметь when talking about the natural abilities of animals. Saying Черепахи не умеют летать is very common and sounds completely natural.
I've learned prefixed verbs like уползать (to crawl away). Why are there no prefixes on the verbs of motion here?
Because we are talking about the actions themselves in their purest, most general sense. Adding a prefix to a multidirectional verb of motion like ползать adds a spatial direction (like leaving, crossing, or arriving) and usually changes it into a standard imperfective verb. Since we aren't talking about crawling away or flying across a specific space, we just use the unprefixed root verbs.
Learn Черепахи и жуки не могут летать, они могут только ползать and more in Russian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free